The Staff And Scrip Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABBBCBCCDEDEEAFAFF GHGHHIBIBBJBJBBAKAKK LMLMNAFAFFAOAOOAPAPP QRQRRDSDSSTUTLUAVAVH AOAOOTBTBBWAWAAATATT AVAHHXBYBBAAAAAABABB AAAAAAVAVVACACCAZAZD AOAOOABABBABABBAAAAA A2OA2OOABABBALALUABA BBB2C2B2C2C2AOAOOAD2 AD2D2POPOOHRVRRATATT BABAA

Who rules these lands the Pilgrim saidA
Stranger Queen BlanchelysB
And who has thus harried them he saidA
It was Duke Luke did thisB
God's ban be hisB
The Pilgrim said Where is your houseB
I'll rest there with your willC
You've but to climb these blackened boughsB
And you'll see it over the hillC
For it burns stillC
Which road to seek your Queen said heD
Nay nay but with some woundE
You'll fly back hither it may beD
And by your blood i' the groundE
My place be foundE
Friend stay in peace God keep your headA
And mine where I will goF
For He is here and there he saidA
He passed the hill side slowF
And stood belowF
The Queen sat idle by her loomG
She heard the arras stirH
And looked up sadly through the roomG
The sweetness sickened herH
Of musk and myrrhH
Her women standing two and twoI
In silence combed the fleeceB
The Pilgrim said Peace be with youI
Lady and bent his kneesB
She answered PeaceB
Her eyes were like the wave withinJ
Like water reed the poiseB
Of her soft body dainty thinJ
And like the water's noiseB
Her plaintive voiceB
For him the stream had never well'dA
In desert tracts malignK
So sweet nor had he ever feltA
So faint in the sunshineK
Of PalestineK
Right so he knew that he saw weepL
Each night through every dreamM
The Queen's own face confused in sleepL
With visages supremeM
Not known to himN
Lady he said your lands lie burntA
And waste to meet your foeF
All fear this I have seen and learntA
Say that it shall be soF
And I will goF
She gazed at him Your cause is justA
For I have heard the sameO
He said God's strength shall be my trustA
Fall it to good or grameO
'Tis in His nameO
Sir you are thanked My cause is deadA
Why should you toil to breakP
A grave and fall therein she saidA
He did not pause but spakeP
For my vow's sakeP
Can such vows be Sir to God's earQ
Not to God's will My vowR
Remains God heard me there as hereQ
He said with reverent browR
Both then and nowR
They gazed together he and sheD
The minute while he spokeS
And when he ceased she suddenlyD
Looked round upon her folkS
As though she wokeS
Fight Sir she said my prayers in painT
Shall be your fellowshipU
He whispered one among her trainT
To morrow bid her keepL
This staff and scripU
She sent him a sharp sword whose beltA
About his body thereV
As sweet as her own arms he feltA
He kissed its blade all bareV
Instead of herH
She sent him a green banner wroughtA
With one white lily stemO
To bind his lance with when he foughtA
He writ upon the sameO
And kissed her nameO
She sent him a white shield whereonT
She bade that he should traceB
His will He blent fair hues that shoneT
And in a golden spaceB
He kissed her faceB
Born of the day that died that eveW
Now dying sank to restA
As he in likewise taking leaveW
Once with a heaving breastA
Looked to the westA
And there the sunset skies unseal'dA
Like lands he never knewT
Beyond to morrow's battle fieldA
Lay open out of viewT
To ride intoT
Next day till dark the women pray'dA
Nor any might know thereV
How the fight went the Queen has badeA
That there do come to herH
No messengerH
The Queen is pale her maidens ailX
And to the organ tonesB
They sing but faintly who sang wellY
The matin orisonsB
The lauds and nonesB
Lo Father is thine ear inclin'dA
And hath thine angel pass'dA
For these thy watchers now are blindA
With vigil and at lastA
Dizzy with fastA
Weak now to them the voice o' the priestA
As any trance affordsB
And when each anthem failed and ceas'dA
It seemed that the last chordsB
Still sang the wordsB
Oh what is the light that shines so redA
'Tis long since the sun setA
Quoth the youngest to the eldest maidA
'Twas dim but now and yetA
The light is greatA
Quoth the other 'Tis our sight is dazedA
That we see flame i' the airV
But the Queen held her brows and gazedA
And said It is the glareV
Of torches thereV
Oh what are the sounds that rise and spreadA
All day it was so stillC
Quoth the youngest to the eldest maidA
Unto the furthest hillC
The air they fillC
Quoth the other 'Tis our sense is blurr'dA
With all the chants gone byZ
But the Queen held her breath and heardA
And said It is the cryZ
Of VictoryD
The first of all the rout was soundA
The next were dust and flameO
And then the horses shook the groundA
And in the thick of themO
A still band cameO
Oh what do ye bring out of the fightA
Thus hid beneath these boughsB
Thy conquering guest returns to nightA
And yet shall not carouseB
Queen in thy houseB
Uncover ye his face she saidA
O changed in little spaceB
She cried O pale that was so redA
O God O God of graceB
Cover his faceB
His sword was broken in his handA
Where he had kissed the bladeA
O soft steel that could not withstandA
O my hard heart unstayedA
That prayed and prayedA
His bloodied banner crossed his mouthA2
Where he had kissed her nameO
O east and west and north and southA2
Fair flew my web for shameO
To guide Death's aimO
The tints were shredded from his shieldA
Where he had kissed her faceB
Oh of all gifts that I could yieldA
Death only keeps its placeB
My gift and graceB
Then stepped a damsel to her sideA
And spoke and needs must weepL
For his sake lady if he diedA
He prayed of thee to keepL
This staff and scripU
That night they hung above her bedA
Till morning wet with tearsB
Year after year above her headA
Her bed his token wearsB
Five years ten yearsB
That night the passion of her griefB2
Shook them as there they hungC2
Each year the wind that shed the leafB2
Shook them and in its tongueC2
A message flungC2
And once she woke with a clear mindA
That letters writ to calmO
Her soul lay in the scrip to findA
Only a torpid balmO
And dust of palmO
They shook far off with palace sportA
When joust and dance were rifeD2
And the hunt shook them from the courtA
For hers in peace or strifeD2
Was a Queen's lifeD2
A Queen's death now as now they shakeP
To gusts in chapel dimO
Hung where she sleeps not seen to wakeP
Carved lovely white and slimO
With them by himO
Stand up to day still armed with herH
Good knight before His browR
Who then as now was here and thereV
Who had in mind thy vowR
Then even as nowR
The lists are set in Heaven to dayA
The bright pavilions shineT
Fair hangs thy shield and none gainsayA
The trumpets sound in signT
That she is thineT
Not tithed with days' and years' deceaseB
He pays thy wage He owedA
But with imperishable peaceB
Here in His own abodeA
Thy jealous GodA

Dante Gabriel Rossetti



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Staff And Scrip poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti


 
Best Poems of Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 1 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets